Six Weeks After Tragedy, Classes Resume at CC

by Taylor Viydo, tviydo@k2tv.com

On Monday, classes resumed at Casper College just over six weeks after the tragedy that took the lives of professors Jim Krumm and Heidi Arnold.

During those six weeks, students, faculty, and stuff healed. Meanwhile, administrators too struggled with not only the loss of two friends, but also two employees. Emotions aside, the school still had to deal with restructuring classes and teachers following the November 30th attack.

For classes that were going to be taught by Krumm or Arnold, they will continue. "Some faculty have picked up an additional section that they weren't planning to teach," said Dr. Grant Wilson, interim dean of the school of science.

As for computer science classes that were going to be taught by Jim Krumm, some of his very own students are carrying on his legacy of instruction. "All of Jim's advanced students have volunteered to help tutor and meet with students face to face to get them through those computer science classes for this semester," added Wilson.

While the rescheduling effort was a little hectic, it was a time when Dr. Wilson and so many others at Casper College realized the support that was there for them.

Wilson says Casper College received calls from other community colleges and the University of Wyoming asking "what do you need us to do?"

Counseling Director Teresa Wallace says she too received overwhelming support from the greater community. "We even had some folks from other states who had been licensed in Wyoming previously...and say 'If there is anything I can do to help,'" said Wallace.

Help even came in from a University sadly familiar with campus tragedy. "I received an email right away that day from the director of counseling at Virginia Tech," said Wallace. "People from far away had heard about us and were reaching out."

While some classes may have new instructors and campus may feel different to some, she says a new semester can be therapeutic. "It's a part of the process to try to keep as many things as structured and 'normal' as possible," she said.

"I think we take some comfort in knowing how Heidi and Jim would have approached a similar situation," added Dr. Wilson. "Step one is take care of our students. Step two is take care of each other, and then the rest of the details kind of fall into place."

With some questions still left unanswered of just how things will be at Casper College this semester, one thing is certain: Jim Krumm and Heidi Arnold will never be forgotten.

"While their offices are still intact and the computer lab is still going to be closed down for this semester, we're moving forward," said Dr. Wilson.

Dr. Wilson added that he is relying on direction from the students in regards to what to do with the classroom in the Wold Physical Science Center where the attack occurred. He says some of Jim Krumm's students are considering installing a permanent plaque outside of the computer lab.